Although LeBron James is in another dimension in the eyes of the whole world, Al Horford last night he managed to snatch one of his seniority records that best speaks of a player’s performance on the court. The 37-year-old power forward, decisive in the final victory of the Boston Celtics in the fifth game of the tie against the Cleveland Cavaliersbecame the oldest player to record more than 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 triples in a playoff game.
Specifically, Horford demonstrated his magnificent competitive gene with 22 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and 3 blocks in 35 minutes of play, with a series of 8 of 15 in field goals and 6 of 13 in triples. The interior, who has replaced the injured one in the starting quintet Kristaps Porzingishas been key to dispelling the doubts and tremors of the Celtics who, since 2020, have presented a surprising neutral balance in their home games during the final phase (20-20).
“He’s a winner, Enough can’t be said about him. Seeing him chase loose balls, giving that extra effort. He understood the moment and was phenomenal for his team.“, congratulated JB Bickerstaff, the rival’s coach. The great protagonist of the pass to the Eastern Conference Finals, was satisfied with the work done and the collective performance: “We wanted this with a lot of impetus, and I am delighted to have achieved it. In the past we were in this situation and we were not able to sentence, and This is a sign of growth for our group.”
Horford, Boston’s sixth man since the arrival of the Latvian center who has changed the course of the franchise, also registered his first game of 20 or more points in the playoffs since 2022. The Dominican is the second active player with the most appearances in the final phase with a total of 177 parties, only behind LeBron (287). And by the way: he is two games away from equaling the mark of Michael Jordan (179). “Today we have seen his talent, which is passion, inspiration, toughness and competitive nature,” applauded his coach. Joe Mazzulla.
The Celtics will now be able to rest long and hard while they wait for their rival for a spot in the NBA Finals. The New York Knicks They dominate their series 3-2 against the Indiana Pacersand they will seek to seal the pass at home in Indianapolis.
Los Celtics they haven’t won the ring since 2008, and are now seeking their third Finals since then. Their record of 64-18 in the regular season was two wins away from the record achieved during their last triumphant campaign in the American league.
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2024-05-16 07:17:18
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